


The Emperor said I had to take you out.

by MotherRameses



Series: Thranto! Thranto! Thranto! [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Art museum, Fluff, Royal Imperial, They have a day off!, Thrawn and Eli find a kid, it's adorable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 00:37:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18355004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MotherRameses/pseuds/MotherRameses
Summary: Thrawn and Eli go to a museum.





	The Emperor said I had to take you out.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to "It Looks Good". You don't have to have read it for it to make sense, but it helps! And it's short!
> 
> Also man have I wanted to write these two boppin' around a museum forever - I'm so glad I finally got to. The trope I added is just a bonus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Massive shout out to TessAlyn for beta work!!! <3 <3
> 
> Also please feel free to give me your interpretations on the art! I intentionally didn't have Thrawn comment on all the pieces because I wanted to leave it open for the readers!

As Eli woke up, he relished the fact that he had done so naturally, without his alarm. He took a moment to lie there, enjoying the feeling of restedness he missed on duty-days. Today, there were no classes to attend, and he could take his time. They had only been at Royal Imperial for a week, and he could already feel the added stress of the rigorous classes taking its toll. It was nice to have a day off from all that.

Stretching stiff muscles, he turned to glance at the chrono on the wall. 0843. Almost three hours more than he normally got, and it felt great.

He rolled over in his tiny bunk and quietly peered over the railing to see if his roommate was awake.

Unsurprisingly, Thrawn was. Thrawn was always awake and ready to go whenever Eli rose, no matter how early Eli set his alarm.

This morning though, instead of lounging in his uniform, Thrawn was still in bed, mussed sheets lazily draped over his bare torso as he flicked through his datapad. That was a bit of new information - because Thrawn always went to bed after and rose before him, Eli never knew he slept shirtless. He caught himself admiring that chest for a moment before he gave himself a little shake. _Don’t even go there_ , he warned his sleepy mind.

“Good morning,” Thrawn said, not looking up from his datapad. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Uh, yeah.” Eli rubbed his eyes and frowned. “Why?”

“Last night, you expressed a desire to sleep as long as you wanted, so I did not wake you. However, you have slept longer than what my research on Human sleep cycles indicates, which implies illness.” Thrawn glanced up at him, and Eli got the uncomfortable feeling he was being appraised.

Eli laughed a little nervously, flattered Thrawn was worried about him. “Yeah, well I guess I’m not getting enough sleep during the week and my body wanted to catch up. I should try getting to bed earlier.” He sat up in his bunk and stretched again, ignoring the brush of the low ceiling on his forearms.

“We do not have to go out today, if you wish more time to rest,” Thrawn said from below.

“Nah, I’m good. We have tomorrow off too, and if I sleep anymore I’ll throw my cycle off,” Eli replied. “Besides, that museum’s holosite said it was less busy during the morning hours.” He had spent the last week researching recreational activities on Coruscant, partly due to the Emperor’s mandate he play tour-guide for Thrawn, and partly for his own curiosity. This was his first time on Coruscant, and if he was going to spend the next three months here, he wanted to know what sort of fun the city-planet could provide.

He hadn’t been let down - Royal Imperial was in the Federal District, and the expansive Entertainment District was right next door. There were dozens of museums of every kind, concert halls, restaurants, sports parks, more bars and clubs than he could count. He had put together a massive list for Thrawn to review, with names and descriptions of things he thought the Chiss might find interesting.

He was surprised at Thrawn’s seemingly sparse choices for today’s itinerary. He had been correct in assuming Thrawn would want to check out a museum, but was intrigued that he chose one of the larger art museums, and not a science or technology one. Thrawn also did not select a restaurant for lunch, requesting instead to make that decision as they wandered around the district. Eli supposed that made sense; if Thrawn wanted to get a feel for the place, walking around looking for food was a good way to explore a city. After that, Thrawn wanted to take a tour of the Senate building. Eli told him the Senate wouldn’t be in session today, but Thrawn wanted to go there nonetheless. And for the evening, Thrawn made no plans at all.

Thrawn had also made a request that unsettled Eli a bit. After he had gone over Eli’s list, he had casually asked if they could tour the Jedi Temple. Eli had frowned at that - Thrawn had never asked him about the Jedi, and the only indication he knew of them was when Eli heard him mention Anakin Skywalker when he was speaking with the Emperor.

Eli had half expected the Emperor to order him shot right then and there for so flagrantly bringing up one of the traitors of the Republic, a member of the secretive society responsible for the Emperor’s marred features. But apparently Skywalker was a special case, because that conversation point lead them down the path that brought him here.

Eli had run a quick holonet search and informed Thrawn they could not tour the Temple, because it had been turned into the Imperial Palace. Thrawn had raised a brow at that, but let the subject drop. Whatever Thrawn wanted to know about the Jedi, he would have to dig up on his own. Eli didn’t want those sort of searches in his history.

“If you are sure, then we should hurry. I am anxious to see the museum.” Thrawn’s voice cut into his thoughts, and the Chiss rose from his bunk. Eli quickly averted his gaze from his roommate - apparently Thrawn didn’t wear sleep pants either, and had crossed to the dresser in his underwear.

“I’ll pull up some maps of the place while you get ready,” Eli said, hurriedly grabbing his datapad from the shelf next to him so he had an excuse to not look at Thrawn as he crossed to the ‘fresher.

Half an hour later, they were out the door, wearing casual clothes and ration bars in hand. It was a stunningly beautiful day, with a light breeze clearing out some of the pollution that seemed ever-present among the towering skyscrapers of the planet. Eli was glad he had suggested they buy sunglasses when they had their first outing together - the reflected glares from all the metal and transparisteel around them would be punishing without the glasses, and he thought he noticed Thrawn getting less interested stares than usual as they walked to the train station.

The streets were bustling as ever despite the hour, and Eli found himself grateful to have Thrawn as his companion for the short walk. Even with his eyes covered, Thrawn still cut an intimidating path, carrying himself with his usual quiet confidence. The sea of pedestrians naturally parted for him, something that certainly didn’t happen when Eli walked in such busy settings by himself. He could certainly get used to having Thrawn by his side - he didn’t want to imagine what it would be like if he had to navigate Coruscant’s crowds by himself.

As a result, they made good time to the museum. It was a relief to step inside the building, it’s cool-toned white interior much quieter than the outside world.

“Probably got some serious sound-proofing going on,” Eli muttered as they walked up to the front desk. Their steps echoed in the spacious antechamber, and he realized he couldn’t hear any of the outside din. There was only the soft murmur of other patrons speaking quietly to one another, and as they stepped up to the desk, he heard the soft peal of a child’s laughter coming from a group of young students on a tour at the opposite end of the chamber.

“It is a beautiful space,” Thrawn replied, gazing up at the ceiling above them. Eli followed his stare, and saw that suspended above them were hundreds of tiny, metallic stars, glinting and shining in the light from the high windows. They danced slightly in a breeze from the air system, throwing sparkling shadows along the walls.

A light chuckle pulled his gaze back down. “That’s what we usually hear.” A young woman had appeared from a door behind the desk and was smiling warmly at them. She had a rich, soothing voice that Eli immediately thought fit the space perfectly. “Here for the Caamas Exhibit?”

“We would like whatever pass would allow us to see as much as possible,” Thrawn replied. He was still gazing up at the stars, eyes tracking from one tiny sculpture to the next. “Who requisitioned this work?”

Eli thought that was an odd question to ask, but the clerk chuckled again as she sat behind the desk, her cloud of curls shaking as she giggled.

“Keen eye,” she said, smiling up at them. “The Ministry for Cultural Arts put out a call for artists to contribute to the work. Once they were vetted, they were given a small amount of Doonium with which to construct their pieces. More than a hundred artists are represented.”

“The styles of each star reflect that. It is curious that such a valuable metal would be given to the artists for such a purpose,” Thrawn said as Eli handed the clerk their entry fee.

“Oh, it’s more than a decade old,” she replied as she handed Eli a datapad in return. “With what the prices are like nowadays, they probably would have chosen a different medium.”

Eli turned on the datapad and found that a small info bubble was displayed on it, with a picture of the work above them and a paragraph of information about the piece next to it. He handed the pad to Thrawn (he actually had to nudge him to get his attention for it), and the clerk spoke again.

“That pad will automatically pull up information of whatever work you’re near,” she said, lacing her fingers under her chin as she peered at them. “Menu at the top has maps and a list of exhibits. Just drop it in the box by the door when you leave.” She smiled at them again, and Eli felt a slight blush rise in his cheeks as her eyes lingered on him before they flicked to Thrawn. “It’s nice to have visitors who appreciate these things, and haven’t come by just to say they’ve been here.”

“Not everyone has an eye for art,” Thrawn replied, tucking the datapad against his side and nodding at her. “Thank you for the information.”

“Of course. Have a good morning.”

“Thanks, you too,” Eli replied, stepping away from the desk with Thrawn. The way she tilted her head and quirked the corner of her smile had given Eli another small blush as they walked away, and he briefly wondered if they couldn’t find another excuse to ask her for more information as they made their way down the hall to the first exhibit.

The short hallway opened up into another larger space, though this one’s ceilings were lower than the antechamber. The smooth white walls were adorned with canvases, with the room’s dark support pillars separating different collections. Eli fell into step slightly behind Thrawn as he led them to the far wall, bypassing clusters of cityscapes and abstract pieces for a collection of canvases depicting various species standing outside restaurants or bars.

Eli could tell that each painting was done by the same artist, but Thrawn still had the datapad tucked under his arm as he gazed at the swath of works, seemingly unconcerned with the information it could provide. He appeared to be lost in thought as he studied them, and Eli suddenly felt like he was missing something.

“What, uh… What do you like about these?” Eli asked quietly, stepping up beside Thrawn. His eyes flicked to him briefly before he gestured for Eli to follow him, and walked up to one painting in the collection.

“Tell me what you see, Eli.” Thrawn had stopped with one hand casually tucked into his trousers, the other still holding the pad at his side.

Eli glanced at him, then turned to look at the painting. “I see two Twi’leks and three- no, four Biths standing outside what looks like a jazz club.”

Thrawn nodded. “Do you think they are patrons of the club?”

Eli looked at the painting again. “Well, with the way the Biths are dressed, I would say they’re probably performing. They got cases down on the floor near them.”

“And the Twi’leks?”

“With the way _they’re_ dressed… maybe?” Eli shrugged. “Depends on the kinda dress code the club’s got.” The two Twi’lek women were wearing revealing jumpsuits, and each had a purse slung on her shoulder.

“Look more closely at the windows,” Thrawn said.

Eli squinted, then stepped forward and leaned closer to the painting.

“Careful,” Thrawn said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Notice the marking on the floor.”

“Oh, sorry.” Eli took a step back into the respectable viewing distance. Thrawn’s hand lingered a second more, then went back to his side.

“I think… are there only Humans inside?”

“Indeed,” Thrawn replied. He didn’t say anything more, and Eli had a feeling he was waiting for him to respond.

“So… no. The Twi’leks wouldn’t be patrons. Maybe they’re groupies?”

Thrawn paused. “What are… groupies?”

Eli chuckled. “Fans of the band that follow them around to gigs.”

“Ah.” Thrawn nodded. “Would groupies follow a band to a location they could not access?”

Eli frowned. “I guess not.” The more he looked at the painting, the more he found he disliked it. The two women had the same, vapid expression on their faces, and the bright colors suddenly seemed falsely cheerful. “Why are you asking me this stuff?”

Thrawn chuckled. “Tell me what you think about the artist.”

“I dunno!” Eli replied. “I dunno if I really like this painting all that much.” Eli felt annoyed - the subjects in the painting didn’t feel like real people to him, with how they were portrayed. They just seemed like caricatures of their species, and Eli was suddenly reminded of how people put him into the backwater yokel category when they heard his accent.

Thrawn seemed to sense his agitation, and took a slight step away from the work as he pulled out the datapad. “It says here the artist is a Human from Coruscant. The painting is entitled ‘Night on the Town’.”

“‘Night on the Town’?” Eli echoed. “How are they having a night out, if they can’t go enjoy the club?”

“How indeed,” Thrawn said mildly. “Now that you know the background of the artist, ask yourself the same question.” He said it with an air of finality as he closed down the datapad and moved onto the next painting in line, and Eli quietly followed him, thinking on the statement.

Now that Thrawn told him about the artist, the portrayal of the Twi’leks and Biths made more sense. It reeked of the Core World class system, and he understood why he didn’t like it. The artist wasn’t painting real people; they were only painting what they thought of those people. For a simple painting of some folks outside a bar, it stung him an awful lot.

Thrawn didn’t ask him any more questions as they stepped through the rest of the chamber, stopping here and there to gaze at works that caught his eye. The rest of the paintings didn’t help Eli’s mood; he found that all seemed to fit the same theme as the one Thrawn had him analyze. Finally, Thrawn seemed satisfied with the spread and stepped towards the center of the space, pulling out the datapad as he did so.

Eli stood next to him, trying not to look too sullen, and a soft chuckle from Thrawn pulled him from his grumpy reverie.

“What’s up?” Eli asked.

“Do you recall what you told me, when I asked about the plaque Deenlark gave me? Regarding the unspoken class system?” Thrawn shut down the datapad and made for the lifts to the next level.

“Yeah,” Eli said, frowning. “Why?”

“It is interesting to see how such a system is reflected in this planet’s art.” Thrawn keyed for a lift and stood back, now watching Eli. “It’s almost as though they are aware of it, but do not wish to actually address it.”

Eli huffed. “Yeah, that’s for sure. But why’s that funny?”

“The information provided regarding the collection as a whole described it as a ‘triumph for diversity’.” 

“... You’re kidding,” Eli said darkly as they stepped into the lift. “What, just because some Human paints non-Humans, they’re suddenly some… some paragon of diversity?”

“Apparently so,” Thrawn replied. He didn’t match Eli’s tone, and instead wore his usual small smile. “Coruscant’s blindspots are quite obvious to those who are often in them.”

“That’s for sure…” Eli grumbled, stepping out of the lift onto the next floor. “Can we talk about something else? This is putting me in a foul mood.” He felt a little bad, feeling sour when their surroundings were rather lovely. This level had warm, jewel-toned walls and a shining black tiled floor, and seemed to be dedicated to kinetic sculptures of all shapes and sizes.

“Of course,” Thrawn replied graciously. “I anticipated this sort of alienation when I was exiled - it is unfair of me to remind you of it needlessly.”

“That’s not... Nevermind.” Eli shook his head. If anything, Thrawn’s statement made him feel worse. Sure, Coruscant’s class system sucked, but he could get by if he didn’t open his mouth. Thrawn didn’t have that luxury.

“What would you like to discuss?” Thrawn asked as they moved deeper among the sculptures.

Eli shrugged, mesmerized for a moment by a shimmering mass of double helix structures before them. “What about… Why did you want to come to an art museum?” He tore his gaze away from the work and peered at Thrawn. “Why not a science or tech one? I figured you’d learn a lot more about the Empire from one of those.”

“That information is readily available on the Holonet,” Thrawn replied, eyes tracking one of the helix's twisting path through the air. “But I have always found a people’s art to be far more informative.”

“Huh,” Eli said. He didn’t really understand that, but Thrawn spoke again before he could ask for clarification.

“Much like how I have learned many things about you, from the stories you have told me of my people,” Thrawn mused, turning from the work and moving to the next, this one a large vat of clear liquid with different bits of fabric suspended in it. A current gently tugged the fabrics through the medium, and Eli was reminded of bizarre fish in a tank.

“What people choose to display, to celebrate or denigrate… These are the things I wish to learn.” Thrawn reached out to touch the transparisteel of the vat, and for a moment, Eli was about to caution him of the viewing distance. But when he glanced down, he saw this work had no such line around it.

He mirrored Thrawn and pressed a hand to the vat, and nearly gasped in surprise. The tank was ice cold, far colder than freezing temperature. The contents inside should not have been fluid at that temperature, and the longer he held his hand to it, he started to feel a slight tingling sensation in his fingers.

Whether it was electricity or his nervous system giving him a warning, he didn’t want to find out, and quickly withdrew his hand. Thrawn stayed though, and as Eli watched, a piece of fabric floated next to his hand. As it came into range of Thrawn’s long fingers, it slowed, then became still, and small crystals started to appear along its edges.

Eli found himself holding his breath as he watched the crystals spread, the formation of their spindly structures accelerating exponentially the longer Thrawn held his hand to the piece. After a few moments, the entirety of the vat had crystallized, and all bits of fabric remained in place, no longer tugged by the current.

Thrawn removed his hand, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then, almost tentatively, the crystals started to dissolve, but far slower than the rate they had formed. They stood together in silence for several minutes as they watched the vat return to its former state, and only when the last crystals disappeared did Thrawn speak.

“Fascinating,” he said simply, before turning to examine his hand. Eli followed his gaze, and stiffened.

Thrawn’s hand had turned a deep purple, the pads of his fingers and palm deeper in color than the parts that had less contact with the vat. He flexed and curled his fingers, and the movement seemed to help bring its color back to normal.

“Is that supposed to happen?” Eli instinctively reached out to grab Thrawn's hand, concerned for his companion, but stopped himself - they had spent less than two weeks together, and he wasn't sure how Thrawn would respond to a touch like that.

Thrawn quirked a brow at his awkward movement, and Eli quickly snagged the datapad from under Thrawn’s arm as an excuse. Thrawn continued to flex his fingers as Eli quickly scanned the pad. “It doesn’t say anything about the effect on the… viewer.”

“I am not concerned,” Thrawn replied, giving his hand a final clench before lowering it. “I am sure different species are affected in different ways. Where is the artist from?”

Eli checked the pad again. “Alderaan.”

Thrawn nodded, humming approvingly. “I will remember that. Shall we continue?”

They made their way through the rest of the exhibits, taking more time than they had on the floor below. Eli kept hold of the datapad, pulling up information on the works if Thrawn requested it. Sometimes, the questions were simple, such as the artist's origin or the exact medium of the work. But other times, Thrawn asked questions that weren’t answered by the blurbs, and Eli almost felt bad that he wasn’t able to supply this Chiss with the information he desired. Thrawn seemed to take that in stride, however, and never pressed Eli if he said he didn’t know.

About three quarters through their tour of the level, the school group appeared, and Eli smiled at the children as they bustled around the pieces. There were perhaps 30 of them, all younger than ten standard and of various species. Two harried looking adults attempted to corral them as a docent led them around. Thrawn didn’t seem to mind the little ones underfoot, and stepped back to allow them access to the pieces when they wandered up.

The children paid them little heed - they were far more fascinated with artwork they were allowed to touch, but it seemed the docent had a set schedule for them, and they disappeared back into the lifts a few minutes after they had arrived.

About ten minutes after the children has disappeared, Thrawn and Eli finished their tour and made for the lifts. But as they passed the vat they had earlier examined, its contents still crystallized from the children’s touches, a faint sniffling caught Eli’s ear.

“Do you hear that?” Eli asked, frowning and turning around. The level appeared to be deserted.

“Yes,” Thrawn replied, turning as well. He paused for a moment, listening, then quickly crossed to the other side of the vat, Eli right behind him.

They were met by the sight of a small Nautolan girl, sitting on the floor next to the vat with one hand pressed up against it. She turned her head at their approach and gave another sniff, tears streaming down her tiny face.

“My hand’s stuck,” she said miserably, looking up at them. “Ms. T’s gonna be mad.” She wiped her nose with her free hand as more tears ran down. “I jus’ wanted to see what it would do.”

Eli was at a loss for what to say, but Thrawn spoke as he knelt down beside the girl.

“Ms. T should not be angry with you for being curious,” he said, and Eli was surprised at the gentleness in his tone. “Does your hand hurt?”

She shook her head, and Eli whispered out of the corner of his mouth to Thrawn. “Nautolan skin can excrete a protective barrier against the cold, since they can live in water. It probably froze to the transparisteel.”

“That’s a very special skill to have,” Thrawn said, smiling at the girl, and she managed a small smile in return.

“Thanks,” she said, still sniffing. “But I can’t turn it off.” She gave her hand a tug, and Eli saw her wince as the skin of her palm pulled against the glass.

“Perhaps we can help,” Thrawn said. “May I touch your hand?”

The girl nodded, and Thrawn gently felt around her fingers, testing the bond. “My name is Thrawn,” he said as he examined her hand. “And this is my friend Eli.”

The girl looked away from Thrawn’s hand over hers to Eli, and he gave her an awkward wave as he knelt down as well.

“I’m Chela,” the girl replied. “And’m sorry I interrupted you.” Eli frowned as she said that - it sounded like a rehearsed statement.

“How have you interrupted us?” He asked, and Chela grinned sheepishly.

“I like how you talk!” She said brightly, then cowed a bit. “Ms. T says I interrupt people a lot - I stop people from doin’ things 'cause I get in trouble.”

“What sort of trouble do you get into?” Eli asked. “Beside, you know,” he gestured at the vat with a chuckle. Thrawn seemed to be making progress in unsticking her hand; he had gotten one finger unglued and stuck his own hand under it, using the other hand to warm hers up before attempting the next digit.

Chela laughed, distracted by Eli’s question. “Well, mostly for asking too many questions. Ms. T says she can’t teach right ‘cause I keep bothering her.”

“I’m not sure if I like the sound of this, ‘Ms. T’,” Thrawn said conspiratorially, and Chela shook her head vigorously.

“I don’ like her at all, but Mr. O’s real nice,” she said, lowering her voice as though Ms. T might suddenly appear. “When we’re at school, I get to spend an hour everyday with Mr. O, and he helps me think of better ways to ask my questions.” She winced a little as Thrawn unstuck her pinky from the vat, but didn’t say anything.

“You’re doing very well,” Thrawn said, noticing her wince. “You’re almost free.”

“Thanks for your help,” Chela said, watching as Thrawn tucked his large hand more fully under her tiny fingers. “What are you?”

Eli stiffened, but Thrawn answered smoothly. “I’m a Chiss,” he said, turning to her so she could see his face.

“Deka said you were a Pantoran, but I told him that was dumb 'cause your eyes and hair are wrong,” she said proudly, staring up at him as though hoping to memorize his features. “I think you look way cooler than a Pantoran too.”

Thrawn chuckled. “Thank you,” he said, turning back to her hand.

“And how come you talk different?” Chela turned her inquisitive gaze to Eli, who chuckled as well. No kidding about asking a lot of questions.

“I’m from a planet out in Wild Space, far away from here,” he said. Chela’s eyes went wide at that, and he was struck with an idea. “Look, I can show you.” He set down the museum datapad on the floor, and pulled his own from his pocket. A few quick taps, and he pulled up a galaxy map.

“Here’s Coruscant,” he said, pointing to the planet near the center of the galaxy. “And here’s my home planet, Lysatra.” He keyed the zoom-out command, and pointed to it.

“Woah” Chela breathed, and she didn’t seem to notice as Thrawn finally freed her hand from the vat. He held it gently in his own and turned it over, checking her skin for injuries.

Chela ignored him as she prodded at Eli’s datapad, tugging the map back and forth as she examined the distance between the two planets. “Why are you here,” she said, not looking up at him as she manipulated the image.

“We came here for training,” Eli said as Thrawn released her hand, and she immediately brought it to the datapad, using two fingers to pull the map apart, zooming in and tracing the hyperlanes she found at the higher resolution.

“Whatcha training for?” She asked, still peering at the image in front of her.

“We are in the Imperial Navy.” Thrawn had a smile small on his face as he answered her question, but Chela whipped her head around and frowned.

“Ms. T says non-humans can’t join the Navy,” she said accusingly, as though she had caught Thrawn in a lie. “She told me so, when I asked her if I could fly spaceships with the Navy, ‘cause they have real big ones.”

Thrawn smile slipped from his face. “Ms. T is incorrect,” he replied, and he motioned for Chela to stand. She continued to watch him suspiciously as they all rose, and Thrawn gestured to Eli’s datapad. “Look at the design on the back.”

Eli handed her the pad, eyes flicking from Thrawn to Chela as he did so. She carefully accepted it and turned it over, running her fingers over the Imperial logo emblazoned on it.

“Do you recognize that?” Eli asked, understanding what Thrawn was going for when he saw him reach for his own datapad.

“Yeah, that’s the ‘pire circle,” she said, and Eli had to stifle a chuckle at the adorable name she gave it.

“My datapad has the same symbol.” Thrawn held out the pad and Chela took it as well, holding the two side by side to compare them. “These were given to us for us to use in our studies. If I weren’t in the Navy, I wouldn’t have one.”

Not the most sound logic, Eli thought, but it seemed enough for Chela. “I wasn’t tryna be rude,” she said softly as she returned the pads. “I’m sorry.”

“You weren’t rude,” Eli reassured her, and Thrawn cut in.

“Never apologize for seeking the truth, Chela.” He held out his hand to her, and she cautiously accepted it. “It is more important to have the right answers, than to worry what others may think of you.”

Chela nodded solemnly, and allowed Thrawn to lead her to the lift.

“What do people-” Her question was cut off as the lift doors opened before them, and a man tumbled out.

“Chela!” He cried, bearded face cracking into relief at the sight of her.

“Mr. O!” Chela gave a little skip, and ran over to him, tugging Thrawn along beside her. “I got stuck to the tank but these are my friends, this’s Thrawn an’ that’s Eli and-”

“Woah there little one,” Mr. O cautioned, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder as he met them. “Remember - two breaths.”

Chela paused and took two, quick breaths, then immediately started again. “This is Thrawn,” she said, jiggling his hand. “And this is Eli.” She pointed to Eli standing on Thrawn’s other side. “My hand got stuck to the tank, and Thrawn helped get it off, and Eli showed me where Lysatra is.”

“Your hand got stuck to a _tank_?” Mr. O looked up at Thrawn and Eli with concern.

“Her hand froze to the side of that exhibit,” Thrawn replied, gesturing to the sculpture behind them. “I saw you did not interact with it - the outside surface is very cold.”

“Eli says my slime is what did it!” Chela happily added.

Mr. O chuckled as Eli smiled sheepishly. “Well gentlemen, thank you for helping my student. I hope she wasn’t too much trouble.” He held out his hand to Chela, and she took it, ducking her head a bit.

“Of course,” Thrawn replied, and Eli caught him straighten up a bit as he stared down at Mr. O. “And she is far from trouble - she is a remarkable young lady.”

“Yeah, she was a real trooper,” Eli added, catching Chela’s eye and giving her a smile. She gave a little smile back, but still seemed worried she was in the tooka house with her teachers.

Mr. O opened his mouth to reply, but Thrawn cut him off. “Please reassure Ms. T that it was our pleasure to meet Chela today, and that, should she find it agreeable, I would be happy to come speak with the class as an officer of the Imperial Navy.”

Chela gave a little happy gasp at that, and tugged at Mr. O’s hand. He looked a little confused, so Thrawn continued. “Chela expressed a desire in joining the Navy. It is never too early to consider one’s career, and I would be glad to answer any questions she may have.”

“Ah,” Mr. O said, nodding in understanding and giving Thrawn a wry smile. “I will certainly relay the message. As an aide, I haven’t much say in that sort of thing…” He paused, looking down at Chela with a mildly troubled expression. “But I will do my best. It is certainly time Ms. T remember that she must serve _all_ her students, and not just the ones that are easy to teach.” He gave Chela a little wink as he said it, and she giggled.

“Now, we must be going, they’re waiting for us outside.” Mr. O nodded to Thrawn and Eli. “Thank you again for your help. Let’s go, Chela.”

Chela turned to say goodbye, but seemed to come to a sudden decision. She quickly slipped out of Mr. O’s grasp and flung her arms around Eli's waist. He gave a little _oof_ as she squeezed him, and he patted her back awkwardly. “Thank you,” she said, a little muffled.

“You’re welcome,” he replied with a chuckle. She gave him a winning smile, then turned to Thrawn. She seemed to sense that the Chiss wouldn’t be as open to such a gesture, and watched as Thrawn knelt down in front of her and offered her his hand.

“Never stop asking questions, Chela,” he said softly as she took it in both of hers.

“I won’t,” she promised, putting every bit of surety a child of ten years could muster into the reply. “Thank you again. I hope Ms. T let’s you come talk to us.”

“So do I.” Thrawn released her, but didn’t make to stand, instead going to his pocket and pulling out a small piece of flimsy. “This is my contact data. Give it to Mr. O, so Ms. T can find me.”

She carefully accepted the flimsy, peering at it before giving him a sharp nod. “I will!” She tucked it into one of her pockets, then gave him a quick salute, the solemnity of the gesture tempered by her wide grin. “Bye!” She quickly ran back to Mr. O, and as they entered the lift, she gave them a final wave before the doors closed.

Thrawn and Eli stood silently for a moment before Eli chuckled. “I never would have imagined you bein' good with kids.”

Thrawn chuckled as well. “Children are to be treasured, Eli. They hold the fate of the future in their hands.”

It was a platitude Eli had heard many times, but coming from Thrawn, it seemed to carry a weight he hadn’t previously noticed.

“I guess that’s true,” he replied thoughtfully. For a moment, he wanted to ask if Thrawn had any kids. But he stopped himself, remembering Thrawn’s circumstances. It would hardly be a pleasant conversation.

“Shall we make our way to the third level? The datapad indicated there was to be an exhibit on music and art there.” Thrawn nodded for the lifts.

“Sounds good to me. I’m having fun just following you around.” Eli gave the man a smile - it was true. He had never been one to go to places like this, finding them a little… boring. But Thrawn was a great companion to have, and he had found the Chiss’s questions gave him a new perspective on the artworks they saw.

Thrawn chuckled, returning the warm smile. “I am glad to hear that.” 


End file.
